How to Lighten Up Your Beauty Routine for Summer

If you can't stand the heat, don't reach for a powder-based bronzer or blush. Because the sweat and humidity can cause the product to give off a cakey appearance, we recommend swapping your traditional staples for wearable cream formulas. Stila's easy to blend Aqua Glow Perfecting Bronzer ($32; stilacosmetics.com) provides an instant cooling sensation on contact with your skin, but if you can't kick your contouring habit just yet, trade those 6-pan palettes for Tarte's The Sculptor Face Slenderizer ($24; ulta.com). The user-friendly pencil shape allows you to place precise strikes anywhere your face could use some extra definition, which can then be buffed out to a natural shadow with a makeup sponge. Play up your glow with a warm creme blush like Burberry's Lip and Cheek Bloom (in Orange Blossom, $28; nordstrom.com) to give the apples of your cheeks a sheer, believeable flush, or the Pur Minerals Chateau Cheek Stain ($26; purminerals.com), which is equipped with a handy kabuki brush on the opposite end so you can easily buff out the color. 

Contrary to popular opinion, you can wear bold hues and smoky shadows alike in summer's peak humidity—just be sure to seek out a formula that combines the color with a primer. Not only will you have one less step in your layering routine, but the infusion of the primer will give the hue extra staying power. For a heavy metal finish, we're obsessed with YSL's Pop Water Full Metal Shadow ($30; nordstrom.com) and Ciate's Cooling Shadow Slick ($16; sephora.com). Unlike many shimmery shadows, the sparkle stays put, and won't crease or budge if you happen to find yourself at a spontaneous pool party. For more control, we recommend working with a shadow crayon like Make Up For Ever's Aqua Matic ($22; sephora.com), which has the precision and color payoff of your favorite pencil, but is soft enough to be blended into a full-color lid.

Depending on your preferred finish, there are a variety of warm-weather alternatives to your favorite bottle of fall and winter foundation. A lightweight BB cream like Dior's Diorsnow formula ($55; nordstrom.com) fuses anti-aging skin care with a sheer, buildable tint, but if you want a full-coverage option, try Philosophy's Hope In a Jar foundation ($39; ulta.com). The fluid formula is easy to blend and layer over specific areas, but mimics the appearance of your natural skin so the finish is never heavy. Can't decide between the two? Thanks to CoverFx's Custom Cover Drops ($44; sephora.com), you don't have to. The flesh-toned pigments can be mixed with any moisturizer, serum, or primer, and can be altered to be heavier or lighter. Use one drop for a translucent effect, two for medium coverage, and three for an opaque appearance.

Fact: Even the most water-resistant eyeliners can smudge sometimes, so your best bet is to waterproof your favorite option with a sealing liquid like Trish McEvoy's Finish Line ($24; nordstrom.com). Simply use a brush to sweep the clear formula over the pencil, gel, or liquid of your choosing, and as an added bonus, it can actually transform your powder shadows into a budge-proof liner. Provided that the shadow can get wet, you can mix a few drops with a black or brown hue, or use it to dial up the intensity of any other color in your arsenal. Waterproof mascaras are amazing for definition and holding a curl, but when it comes to the removng them, many require some elbow grease, and we often end up sacrificing a few of our natural lashes during the clean-up process. Instead, reach for Miaray's Fiberwig ($19; ulta.com). The innovative mascara, which is already big in Japan, creates a water-resistant seal around your lashes and the lengthening fibers, and won't run when you decide to take a dip in the pool. Only warm water will remove the product, and the heat causes the inky noir liquid to swell up and be completely lifted from the surface, leaving all of your natural lashes intact.

Keep those eyebrows on fleek—come humidity or high water—by trading your powder and angled brush duo for waterproof pencils and gels. If your arches are already full, a few sweeps of MAC's Brow Set ($17; maccosmetics.com) will keep them in place, and for blondes in particular, can add a temporary tint. You can also try sketching individual hairs using Eyeko's liquid Brow Liner ($19; birchbox.com), which produces a transcucent, one-size-fits-all hue, or filling them in completely with Marc Jacobs' waterproof Defining Longwear Pencil ($25; sephora.com).

When full-coverage matte lipsticks melt off in the heat, and shiny glosses stick to your hair, it's time to seek out a happy medium. NYX's Butter Gloss ($5; ulta.com) combines a hint of color, with a spreadable, balm-like consistency as a non-glue-like alternative to your sticky gloss, and for a full color pout, we're obsessed with Clinique's Color Pop Lipstick ($18; clinique.com), which has a primer built into the formula, and MAC's gel-based Huggable Lip Color ($20; maccosmetics.com)

Heat and sweat tend to make certain fragrance notes more prominent, so swap those oud and wood-based scents you loved in the cooler months for a lighter spritzer like Bond No. 9's Fire Island ($190; bondno9.com), which features white floral and citrus notes that won't overpower or cause a headache. Or, opt for Kai's oil-based roll on version ($48; kaifragrance.com). Traditional spray-on fragrances feature an alcohol base, which can fade against certain skin types, but since oils contain a more concentrated amount of scent that is quickly absorbed into the skin, the light-as-air gardenia notes will last from sunrise to sunset without any need to reapply.

Keep the "less is more" mantra in mind with your daytime skin care routine during the summer. Heavy creams and serums are prone to giving off a shiny appearance, and can cause the makeup on top to slide around. Because your skin still needs moisture, we recommend using a lightweight, one-and-done product like Chanel's Hydra Beauty Micro Serum ($110; nordstrom.com) before applying tinted moisturizer or foundation. Your skin will drink in the hydrating benefits, allowing the makeup to be layered on top, while creating a dewy—not shiny—finish. Tatcha's Pore Perfecting Sunscreen ($68; available in August at tatcha.com) works wonders on oily complexions by shrinking the appearance of enlarged pores, mattifying the area, and shielding your skin from harmful UV rays.